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Study Links Common Epstein-Barr Virus to Autoimmune Lupus
EBV-infected B cells are 25 times more common in lupus patients and trigger autoimmune attacks, offering new pathways for targeted therapies and vaccine development.
- On Nov. 12, Stanford researchers published a small study in Science Translational Medicine providing initial evidence that Epstein-Barr virus may reprogram B cells to trigger lupus, led by William Robinson, MD, PhD.
- Long suspected, Epstein-Barr virus infects about 94 percent of adults and epidemiological studies show high anti-EBV antibodies and reactivation often coincide with lupus flare-ups.
- Using a new EBV-specific single-cell sequencing technique, the team isolated individual B cells from 11 people with lupus and 10 healthy controls, finding EBV-infected B cells were about 25 times more abundant and produced antibodies that misrecognize self-components.
- The findings point toward shifting from nonspecific treatments to targeted therapies addressing EBV-infected B cells, providing the strongest rationale yet for EBV vaccines to prevent lupus, authors said.
- At least five million people worldwide live with lupus, and although several EBV vaccine candidates are in development or trials, Robinson noted vaccines must be given soon after birth.
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The population of the United States affected by lupus is estimated at approximately 1.5 million people, according to the Lupus Foundation of America in 2025.
November 12, 2025 – Health – EFE. About 5 million individuals globally suffer from lupus, a condition where the immune system attacks the internal components of cell nuclei. A recent study by Stanford Medicine scientists establishes a connection between the development of this autoimmune disease and Epstein-Barr virus (VEB), a pathogen that is present in almost the entire human population. This linkage has been suggested for years, but this rese…
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Leaning Left12Leaning Right0Center7Last UpdatedBias Distribution63% Left
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L 63%
C 37%
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